Aloe vera is a plant that predominantly grows in arid climates. The plant is popularly known for its health benefits such as healing of wounds and minor skin infections and many more. In fact, many commercial products on the market have aloe in it because of its wonderful properties on the skin and on overall health. Aloe isn’t only available in commercial products. Any individual, who has an aloe plant or can get a hold of it, can make use of its extracts and its healthy properties.
How to Store Aloe Vera
- Caring for an Aloe Vera plant is easy. In fact, its maintenance is very similar to other houseplants.
- Caring for an aloe leaf and its gel is another matter.
- With improper storage, the gel and the leaf can turn brown and dry up. When this happens, the Aloe is of no use.
- But why is Aloe Vera very important and useful as a house plant?
- It helps to heal wounds such as cuts and burns.
- It helps to heal skin conditions such as rashes and acne.
- It helps alleviate pain from a sun burn.
- It speeds up healing.
- It has wonderful moisturizer properties that work great on the skin and hair.
- It has anti-inflammatory properties.
- The plant grows easily and needs little maintenance.
- When talking about storage, this does not mean the whole plant.
- Storage is very important after harvesting the extracts or cutting and filleting of the aloe leaf.
- When storing aloe, it is important to know which parts of the aloe leaf and which to avoid.
- The rind or the outer layer of the aloe leaf can be used for composting.
- The yellow sap or the second layer from of the aloe leaf should be avoided at all costs because it can cause diarrhea as well as other problems when taken orally.
- The inner layers of the aloe leaf, the mucilage and the gel, are the most important parts of the aloe leaf.
- Once the aloe leaf is harvested, it should be processed and stored as soon as possible in a period of a couple of hours to avoid oxidation which spoils the aloe extracts.
Store Aloe Vera Leaf
- In storing both the aloe extract and the leaf, cold temperature is important.
- Storing the aloe extract and the leaf in the refrigerator can make it last longer for as long as a year.
- It is best to store aloe extract in a brown or dark container to block out light.
- Adding a drop of vitamin E, grapefruit seed extract, and citric acid powder can help discoloration of the aloe and make it last even longer.
- Only use glass or a plastic container that is food-safe.
- The whole leaf can be stored in the refrigerator and a small portion is cut only when it needs to be used. This keeps the extracts fresh.
- It is better to fillet the leaf rather than just squeezing aloe juice out from the relief. Filleting the leaf and scraping the gel or extracts yield a larger amount.
- Aloe vera is always best when used fresh.